Publications

Selected publications

My publications reflect my journey from full-time academic concurrently studying for a Masters and PhD (1995–2001), to fractional teaching-focused academic with young children (2002–2005), to independent consultant supporting other people to achieve their research and publication goals (2005–).

Below you’ll find a selection of my publications and conference presentations, listed alphabetically by title.

Academic and professional publications

  • A framework of consumer engagement in Australian health policy, Health Issues, 91, pp. 22-27, 2007.
  • A word-focused view of document design, Offpress (Newsletter of the Society of Editors (Qld) Inc), October 2010.
  • Choosing communication tools in social issues campaigns, Asia Pacific Public Relations Journal, 2(2), pp. 15-30, 2000.
  • Describing best practice in producing publications, Asia Pacific Public Relations Journal, 3(2), pp. 35-57, 2001.
  • Does typographic cueing on screen affect recall? Visible Language, 36(3), pp. 326-346, 2002 (with Mary Dyson).
  • Informing young people, Information Design Journal, 10(2), p. 174, 2000/2001.
  • It is time to update sun safety campaigns to recognise population diversity: Findings from two citizens’ juries in Australia, Health Promotion Journal of Australia, July 2023. DOI: 10.1002/hpja.786 (with Rachel Neale, Oliver Frank and Louisa Gordon).
  • Producing promotional publications: How professional communicators approach their work, Australian Journal of Communication, 25(2), pp. 61-80, 1998. 
  • Social issues infotainment: Using emotion and entertainment to attract readers’ attention in social issues brochures, Information Design Journal, 11(1), pp. 67-81, 2002/2003.
  • Structured, social solitude: Writing in the company of others, WQ, 266, (Newsletter of Queensland Writers Centre), pp. 12-13, Sep-Nov 2019.
  • Using audience involvement to guide information design, Infodesign: Brazilian Journal of Information Design, 1(1), pp1-15, 2004.
  • Using deliberative techniques to engage the community in policy development: A case study, Australia and New Zealand Health Policy, 5(1):16, 2008 (with Janette Hartz-Karp and Rebecca Watson). 
  • Using email to get the job done, Journal of Surface Coatings Australia, 57(1), pp. 30-31, 2020.
  • Using message strategy to capture audience attention: Readers’ reactions to community education publications, Journal of Nonprofit and Public Sector Marketing, 15(1/2), pp. 1-23, 2006.
  • Writing for the web vs. writing for print: Are they really so different? Technical Communication, 51(2), pp. 276-285, 2004.

Seminar and conference presentations

  • A word in the right ear: Consumers engaging in the development of health policy, Health Consumers Alliance of South Australia seminar, Adelaide, 2007.
  • Ban the brochure, Society of Business Communicators (Qld) seminar, Brisbane, 2004.
  • Becoming a workplace writer, Queensland Business Writers Conference, Brisbane, 2014.
  • Community engagement: Quietening the masses or partners in decision making?, Society of Business Communicators (Qld) seminar, Brisbane, 2010.
  • Describing best practice in producing publications, PRIA National Conference, Perth, 2001.
  • Draft No. 2 (and beyond), Queensland Business Writers’ Conference, Brisbane, 2019.
  • Essentials of editing and proofreading, Australian Institute of Management, Business Writing Week seminar, Brisbane, 2010.
  • From chalk and talk to computer whiz: The changing experience of lecturing to large classes, Society of Research in Higher Education Conference, Cardiff, 1996.
  • From shaky first draft … to (almost) perfect final copy, Queensland Business Writers’ Conference, Brisbane, 2016.
  • GhostWriting: The art of invisible writing, Presentation for Queensland Writers Centre (with Michael Collins), 2020.
  • How to get writing, keep writing, & write well when it all seems too hard, Presentation to Fellowship of Australian Writers Queensland, 2020. Available: on YouTube.
  • Information design and a public relations education: Does our teaching reinforce traditional ways of working?, InfoDesign Conference, Cambridge, 1998.
  • Information design in practice: How writers, designers, and project managers talk about their work, Australia & New Zealand Communication Association Conference, Melbourne, 1997.
  • Informing young people, InfoDesign Conference, Coventry, 1999.
  • Moving beyond consultation: New ways to engage consumers in debate and decision making, Consumers Reforming Health Conference, Melbourne, 18-19 July 2011.
  • Plain but not simple: Creating a plain English website at Logan City Council, Presentation to Editors Queensland, Brisbane, 2020.
  • Readers’ reactions to message strategy in publications, International Communication Association Conference, Seoul, 2002.
  • Social issues infotainment: Using emotion and entertainment to attract readers’ attention in social issues brochures, InfoDesign Conference, Coventry, 2000.
  • Successfully simple sentences, Queensland Business Writers Conference, Brisbane, 2013.
  • The impact of new communication technologies on public relations models of practice, Australia and New Zealand Communication Association Conference, Brisbane, 1996 (with Robina Xavier).
  • Three workshops: Engaging with families and communities; Communicating with families; Writing workshop, Queensland Children’s Activities Network (QCAN) Conference, Gold Coast, August 2011.
  • Web writing vs print writing: Apples and pears or two peas in a pod? Society of Business Communicators (Qld) seminar, Brisbane, 2006.
  • Writing for readers, Queensland Business Writers Conference, Brisbane, 2012.
  • Writing for the web vs. writing for print: Are they really so different?, Australia and New Zealand Communication Association Conference, Melbourne, July 2002.

Selected client publications

  • A framework of consumer engagement in Australian health policy (September 2006). For the Australian Institute of Health Policy Studies.
  • Case studies of consumer engagement in Australian health policy and related fields (April 2008). For the Australian Institute of Health Policy Studies.
  • Community education, young people, and tenancy issues (June 1999). For the South East Queensland Youth Accommodation Coalition.
  • Conceptualising consumer engagement: A review of the literature (August 2006). For the Australian Institute of Health Policy Studies.
  • Engaging consumers in discussion about Australian health policy: Key themes emerging from the AIHPS study (September 2008). For the Australian Institute of Health Policy Studies.
  • Logan City Council PlainLanguagePro Gold Assessment. December 2019.
  • North Brisbane Partners in Recovery Innovation Fund Magazine 2014-2015 (September 2015). For North Brisbane Partners in Recovery.
  • Our Stories: Innovation Fund and System Reform Project magazine (September 2016). For North Brisbane Partners in Recovery.
  • Students’ perception of Online Teaching, Internal Queensland University of Technology document – developed through research conducted for the Quality Women in Leadership Program, 2002.
  • Talking about consumer engagement: Themes emerging from interviews about consumer engagement in Australian health policy (March 2007). For the Australian Institute of Health Policy Studies.